Scandinavian Tobacco Group (STG) Erinmore Flake

Tin note is, right off the bat, fragrant... like sun-tan lotion. That's really the first thing that comes to mind, like the coconut/fruity smell of sun-tan lotion in the summer. First few puffs... it's more complex than just that, and it's not as unnatural as it may sound. Erinmore is more of a "flavored Virginia/Burley" than it is a strong "aromatic". The casing flavor is there in the smoke, but the tobacco flavors still come through pretty well. Still, I do love the casing, it's very fresh and summery. The tobacco flavor works well with it too. The Virginias come though stronger than the Burley's, but they're both apparent. The Virginia adds more obvious flavor, but the Burley is there firming up the smoke.

Bottom line: Erinmore is a nice smoke. The flavor/scent is fresh and light, but in an old fashioned sort of way. Hard to describe, but I like it. If you like mildly flavored Virginia/Burley blends like University Flake... I think you'll enjoy Erinmore too.

Have you ever thought of trying to guess which tobacco you have in your hands if you happened to be blindfolded? It is definitely not as easy as it might seem for most pipe tobacco blends but Erinmore Flake is one of the few that I am sure I would get it right just by sniffing it! It has an unmistakable aroma that I have never experienced in any other tobacco. Floral and tropical notes are the predominant aroma for which we are presented when opening the tin. One would therefore think that this would be a tobacco that falls into the category of sweet, over the top aromatics but you would be mistaken if you happen to believe that this is going to taste like a fruity dessert. It is really not to sweet, well balanced and a good all around smoke. An all time classic flake tobacco that every pipe smoker should try at least once in their life.

I’m Not an aromatic smoker really, but I like this one. Flakes burn nice and slow but are a bit moist out of the tin. I get some bite from this blend as I do with most Virginia based blends. It’s strong enough to satisfy. The top note covers up the natural tobacco flavor, But it’s no goopy blend, and has a quality feel about it. Its not really a heavy aromatic. To me it’s kind of a spicy flowery blend that actually makes for a nice change in pace from the stout natural flakes I mostly smoke. I find myself reaching for this quite a bit these days. I think this one grows on you. I like heavy nicotine blends, and Erinmore has just enough nicotine for me to feel it just a tad. This one keeps me coming back and I’d recommend this to non aro smokers who want to change up the pace a little without smoking pure sugar candy. I can definitely give this 3 stars.

Iconic yellow-labeled tin with the standard STG flake presentation: a stack of flakes wrapped in slightly damp white paper, with a gold sticker holding the paper closed. Also like most STG flakes, these are a little damp, but not “unsmokably” so.

Tin note is a fairly strong yet pleasant mixture of dried apricots, orange marmalade and fruit mincemeat.

Upon lighting, the Virginia comes to the forefront and stays there throughout the bowl. Mostly sweet hay notes with the fruity topping right behind. The topping is a multitude of fruit flavors, some bright like citrus and apricot, some dark and spiced like mincemeat, but the topping is not cloying and never really takes precedence over the Virginias. The intensity of the topping is far less than the tin note would lead you to expect, and stays in the background the entire time. The burleys also play second fiddle here in my opinion, but do add a little backbone and bread/nuttiness to the mix. All together, these flavors make an overall taste that is not terribly different from homemade Christmas fruitcake. I did not get the nic-hit that some describe. It was mild to medium on the vitamin N for me.

It’s hard to put this one into a familiar category, as it’s not what most folks would consider an aromatic, and it’s not a straight Virginia or straight “VaBur” either, but whatever you consider it to be, it’s one worth trying.

Beautiful, precise dappled brown flakes, which smell of nutty burley, grassy-sweet Virginia, and mixed fruit topping. I get more plum and apricot than anything else, but it is definitely a melange of fruits. Came a bit wet, so I dried the flakes for an hour before folding and stuffing, which I find I prefer to rubbing out. The flakes packed well and lit easily, leading to a very pleasant slow smolder. Grassy, bright sweetness from the Virginia leads the way, followed by a nutty richness from the burley, all wrapped in a fruit and light floral top note. The fruit seems to run the spectrum from citrus and sour to dark and sweet. The toppings are less strong than the tin note would lead you to believe. Leaves a pleasant, sweet aftertaste with mild fruity flavors present. If I had to commit to a dominant fruit flavor, I’d have to say apricot jam, with its caramel sweetness and bright top notes. Burns a tad warm, but clean and leaves little dottle. Flavors fade in and out through the bowl, but stay consistent in their ebb and flow throughout the bowl. Builds in strength to a solid medium, never approaching strong. Very good overall, particularly if you like British style flakes and flavors (like Gawith-Hoggarth).

Around seven years ago I bought quite a bit of estate tobacco at a tobacco shop. As stated in a previous review I met the wife of the gentleman who passed away and she was really nice and said he loved his hobby. I will be in the same boat one day as I have more pipe tobacco that I have accumulated over these past twenty years to last a life time. I keep telling myself to quit buying it, but that is half the fun to try something different. I have six square tins of this by Murray Sons & Company Limited with the oldest dated 2003. The one I opened is from May 2005. I smoked some of this awhile ago but never got around to the review. It has the nicest row of 2inch square flakes, dark with a slight juicy fruit smell neatly arranged in the tin that I have ever seen. This really smokes nice and sweet in a corn cob. A nice smooth Virginia with a light topping. It is thirteen years old so maybe it has mellowed out a bit. I have not tried the new version but find it odd that STG is putting square flakes in a round tin, after all, presentation is half the key. I might buy a tin of the new stuff at my next pipe meeting and try it out.

Nicely sliced brown cakes which fold easily, or - when left to dry too long - can be broken up or partially rubbed. Virginia and Burley present throughout the bowl, with initial (quite light) citrusy topping present more in the nose/ aroma, than in actual smoking. Fruity overtones disappear halfway through the bowl and burley flavours come to the fore. It burns well, produces good ash and does not bite when smoked slowly. I smoke it mainly as a change of pace. I find it superb for working outdoors, as the flavours are not particularly subtle and the tobacco is mild. For my outdoor smoking I use my old Polish-made "Mr Brog" small half-bent briar with a #9 filter, as it is easy to handle while moving about pruning bushes in the garden.

Despite the picture on the tin, there are no pineapple flavours - the topping is more of an orange / lime / apricot one. The pineapple is just an brand emblem. Not my #1 favourite weed simply because I prefer some black cavendish to burley in my tobacco. This is just a personal choice and not a reflection on the tobacco, which deserves four stars due to its consistent quality over the years.

Erinmore Flake is a delightful pipe of pure pleasure that as not changed since it was first produced by Murray’s of Belfast. On opening the tin one is met by a lovely smell that is akin to an helping of fresh fruit salad, tutti fruiti, cross wrigleys juicy fruit chewing gum. The smoke is very mild, but also wonderfully satisfying, though to remain sweet and cool this tobacco needs to be sipped and savoured rather slowly. Erinmore will ghost your pipes and will also ghost your smoking room an example of which I will give. Erinmore was a tobacco that I smoked rather exclusively and when I moved house I visited my old house to recover my Mail, on opening the door of my then totally empty house, I was greeted by the distinctive smell of Erinmore, which to my nose smelled delightful, but be warned this is a ghost that even the exorcist would be unable to exorcise! Erinmore is still the Erinmore that it always was despite now being blended elsewhere and is a very satisfying smoke even though it is somewhat mild to my now aged palette. If you haven’t tried Erinmore before I think that you should give it a go, because ghosting aside it remains a very nice smoke, with a lovely room note, which usually garners compliments on its bouquet from none smokers. So to sum up, glad that Erinmore is stil that very satisfying smoke of old, which I’m sure will delight. Footnote: mixes well with Ennerdale flake which slows the burn rate down. Mike from Blakemar Briars gave me that tip and that’s all he smokes, so with that recommendation who are we to disagree?

There is a lot of back and forth about this blend online concerning the topping. The tin does have a pineapple on it, but according to the manufacturer there is no pineapple in the topping. Many people compare the topping of this blend to tutti-fruity, but as you will see I think it has a lot more nuance.

It comes a tin that has a sort of timeless look to it. Very simple and very direct. The tin description is nicely descriptive. When I opened my tin, I found 12 flakes about the same size as Capstan's Blue Flake. Depending on the bowl size I've been able to fold and stuff 1 to 1½ flakes for each smoke. They are a rich dark brown in colour. The tin note smells of flowers, chocolate, summer fruits, Virginia citrus, and a slight nuttiness. They take a little while to dry so I fill my pipe the day before and let it sit. It lights about average and stays lit fairly well.

Once I've got my tobacco lit what I taste is very interesting. The topping is there but it doesn't take over the blend. It's lightly floral, sweet and gives off a light berry note. The underlying tobaccos shine through though. The Virginias are slightly sweet and slightly bready. The Burley in this blend is nice and robust, nutty, and slightly chocolatey. They make for perfect carriers for the toppings. It smokes pretty cool, and very consistent. A very smooth taste.

I give the taste a medium. It fills your mouth but remains pretty smooth. The aftertaste is very pleasant. The strength is a medium it isn't weak, but even after only having tea yet today I don't feel it in the back of my throat. Now the room note is quite nice, and if your friends and family don't have an aversion to any form of tobacco smoke, I think they might find this quite enjoyable. This is a very repeatable smoke for me and I could be quite happy in having a few bowls of this in a day. A good blend like St. Bruno that let's the tobaccos shine through the topping.